Kenora Great War Project

 

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The People

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These are the stories of Kenora participants in the First World War.

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Sherrett, Joseph Allan

Joseph Allan Sherrett was born on 02 May 1897 in Dundee, Scotland.   He was the youngest child of James Sherrett, a railway engine driver, and Rebecca Macallister. His siblings included James A. (born 1880), Annie F. (born 1882), Margaret M. (1884 – 1937), Jean Belle (1886 – 1972), John Ross (1888 – 1955), Isabella… Read More »

Robertson, Ranald Alexander

Sapper Ranald Alexander Robertson enlisted in December 1915 and served overseas for more than three years with the Canadian Engineers. He returned to Canada in May 1919. Ranald was the son of Angus Alexander Robertson and Christina McDonald of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Angus was a farmer born in Lochiel Township, Glengarry County, Canada West (Ontario). Christina… Read More »

Sewell, Claude

Claude Sewell was born on 21 March 1896 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. Both of his parents John Sewell and Louisa Sarah Parr were from England, immigrating to Canada around 1891 according to later census records. Their first child, daughter Gladys, was born in 1893 in Rat Portage where John was working as… Read More »

Anderson, Alexander Carmichael

Alexander Carmichael Anderson was born on 24 May 1884 in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents were John Orr Anderson and Alice Roy Houston. John worked as a master joiner in Scotland. Siblings included: John (1875-1949), William (1881-1881), Alice (1886-1961) and Agnes (b. 1890). In 1905 Alexander and some of his family (father, mother & sister Agnes)… Read More »

McKelvie, James

James McKelvie was born on 2 September 1896 in Mossend in the registration district of Bothwell in Lanarkshire, Scotland. His parents Duncan McKelvie and Jessie McKean were both born in nearby Muirmadkin. At the time of the 1881 census Duncan was lodging with Jessie’s widowed mother Janet and some of her siblings in Bothwell where… Read More »

Snaddon, Andrew Johnston

Major Andrew Johnston Snaddon enlisted in the spring of 1915 and served in France with the 4th Battalion. He was killed in October 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. Andrew was born on 19 October 1888 in Clackmannan, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. His parents were Andrew Snaddon and Margaret Sharp. Margaret was born in Clackmannan and… Read More »

Killins, Alfred Verne

Name registered as Alfred Laverne Killins, Verne was born on 17 May 1899 in Rat Portage (later named Kenora) in northwestern Ontario. His parents Alfred Camsell Killins and Lillian Florence Mason were both from southern Ontario but married in February of 1898 in Sault Saint Marie where Lillian was living. Alfred, a railroad brakeman, had… Read More »

Dennett, Robert William

Robert William Dennett was born on 9 January 1894 in Windsor, Berkshire, England. His father, a solicitor’s clerk, was also named Robert and was born in Camberwell/Pimlico in London. Robert Jr’s mother was Henrietta Baldwin who had been born in Cholsey, Berkshire; the couple had married in Windsor in 1890. Robert had two younger sisters,… Read More »

Guernsey, George Lionel Vares

George Guernsey was born 24 May 1895 in Rat Portage (Kenora) Ontario. His parents, originally from England, were William Robert Guernsey and Frances Fuller who had arrived in Rat Portage around 1893 from Manitoba. George was one of thirteen children in the family. George enlisted with the 94th Battalion in Kenora on 17 November 1915…. Read More »

Caslake, Arthur

According to his attestation papers, Arthur Caslake was born on 7 May 1881 in St Mary’s, Ontario. However it is likely that he was born as Arthur Coupland in 1879, the son of Rachel Coupland. The 1881 Canada census for St Mary’s found Rachel and Arthur living with Rachel’s widowed mother Elizabeth Coupland. In 1884,… Read More »